Welcome to Rankster 👊

The weekly newsletter that is a cheat code for Amazon sellers... Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, PROFIT!

In today’s issue:

• DEEP DIVE: TikTok Shop vs Amazon? What do sellers choose?

• TikTok’s $1.4 billion fine

• US Digital economy hits $5 Trillion

• Toy Brand’s $28 million gold rush on TikTok Shop

• TikTok’s newest image-to-video tool

• And more…

🔽 Let’s get started (make sure you read to the end for a one time offer)

BEST LINKS

What Caught My Eye This Week

🚀 Seller News….. News you need to know

• Still Images? TikTok Says Hold My Beer

• TikTok's offers $1M to US businesses implying: 'We're The Good Guys' Campaign

• Creator Economy Explodes, Hits $5T

• EU Swipes Left on TikTok's Privacy - $1.4 billion fine

DEEP DIVE

🤬 TikTok Shop vs Amazon

Why Your Strategy is All Wrong

Amazon sellers diving into TikTok Shop thinking it's just "Amazon with dancing teens" are in for a BRUTAL reality check.

🎯 The Cold Hard Truth

I've been running campaigns on both platforms for 2+ years, and here's what nobody's telling you...

These platforms are as different as calculus and finger painting.

You're trying to use your Amazon playbook on TikTok, and it's like bringing a calculator to a rave. WRONG TOOL, WRONG PARTY.

⚙️ Platform DNA: The Fundamental Difference

Amazon is a SPREADSHEET:

• Keyword-obsessed

• Data-driven decision making

• Buyers know exactly what they want

• Success formula: SEO + PPC + Reviews = $$$

TikTok Shop is the WILD WEST:

• Creator-dominated ecosystem

• Trend-driven (today's gold mine is tomorrow's ghost town)

• Scroll-happy impulsive buyers

• Success formula: Entertainment + Problem Solving + FOMO = $$$

One brand we worked with spent $50K optimizing Amazon listings... then threw the same budget at boring product demos on TikTok.

Guess what happened? 💩

• Amazon sales: Up 127%

• TikTok sales: Crickets... $862 total

💰 The ROI Math Most Miss

Let's talk real numbers...

• TikTok Shop sales conversion rate: 4.3% average (up to 30% on lives)

• TikTok Shop ad costs: ~$0.50 CPC (versus Amazon's $1.20+)

• TikTok commission rates: 20%+ (standard for affiliates)

But here's the GOLD most miss:

💩 Why Most Fail at TikTok Shop

The brutal truth is 95% of brands trying TikTok Shop crash and burn.

Why?

• Expecting immediate results (TikTok needs 4-6 months to gain traction)

• Sending free product to random creators (0.052% response rate...I've tracked this)

• Using boring, feature-focused content that would work on Amazon

• Not understanding the entertainment-first nature of the platform

TikTok doesn't care about your product features. TikTok cares if you can make someone stop scrolling.

🚀 Your Next Move

If you're still running your TikTok Shop like it's Amazon, you're leaving money on the table.

The smart play right now:

1. Build a small roster of reliable creators (5-10 is plenty)

2. Test TikTok GMV Max ads (set it and forget it)

3. Repurpose ALL TikTok content for Amazon Posts

4. Use the TikTok Shop CRM for abandoned carts (20% off, 24-hour expiry) and TikTok Flash Sales to drive sales

The game changed, but the playbook didn't update. Until now.

💰 ONE-TIME OFFER

💰 TikTok Shop Sprint

For 48 hours only: Get our "TikTok Shop Sprint" for $1,000 (normally $2,500).

Why wait 4-5 months of expensive testing when we can compress it into 30 days?

The Sprint gives you:

• We create a complete TikTok ad campaign that actually works

• Eliminates testing, no longer do brands require 4-5 months of testing

• Answers within 2 weeks, not months

Requirement: Your product MUST be live on TikTok Shop to qualify

The offer expires in 48 hours…..

This offer will not be repeated…. I am setting it up purely to show the power of TikTok Ads and the speed of execution.

That's it for this week 👊

But I need to ask a favour...

Thanks for reading.

- Paul

PPS…. If you are interested in running a TikTok campaign…. book a call with me to discuss. If you are interested in the TikTok Sprint…. let me know